Starter for internal combustion engines



Jan" 23, 1934. I L, GERARD 1,94%,641-1 STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed Feb. 14, 1929 Z0 i0 8 Fig-i Z I2 17 27 i 77 XI \1\ x 26 V15 I D o 76 13 24 o a a o NToQ Patented Jan. 23, 1934 s'mn'rm ronINTERNAL COMBUSTION enemas Lon Gerard, Sevres, France, assignor to PaulViet, Billancourt, Seine, France Application Feb 14, 1929, Serial No.339.957, and in France February 16, 1928 4 Clai.

The present invention relates to improvements in starters for internalcombustion engines, and chiefly to apparatus of this class which employthe kinetic energy of a mass rotated by suitable means and driving ashaft which may be connected with the engine.

The mass whose hnetic energy is employed may consist of a set of smallelectric or' other motors disposed around the driving shaft, and

lo rotated about the said shaft by means of their own power, which isthus added to their kinetic energy in order to efiect the starting ofthe engine.

In other cases, the said mass may consist of l5 heavy elements which arerotated by manual control. The apparatus according to the invention asabove specified, will provide a considerable force for startingtheengine, and this force may be reduced after the starter has been putinacso tion.

Such race are susceptible of numerous applications, and-in addition totheir use for starting internal combustion engines such as aeroplaneengines, industrial engines, Diesel and 255 semi-Diesel engines, theymay be employed as servo-motors of great emciency for all operationsrequiring a large initial driving power, for instance for the control ofturrets for machine guns upon aeroplanes, for the turrets of battleships"80 or the like.

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawingshowstan embodiment of the said invention. I

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a starter in "'25 which theactuating mass consists of electric motors, and which comprises ap'edalcontrol-and a clutch regulator. I Q

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partialview of the end of the shaft to of the rotor of one of the electricmotors.

" armatures thereof having their shafts 8 provided with plnions 9 and10, which mesh, respectivelv, with the toothed ring 11 fixed to thecasing 12 and with a similar rlng113 carried by the clutch box m.

'66" The box 14 contains the conventional form of through the brushes 26engaged with the commucorrugated discs 15-16 serving to drive the-sleeve6, and in turn the shaft 3. The disks l5 and 16 are alternately splinedto the clutch has it and shaft 6. The shaft 3 is provided with an annular groove 31 on which are normally engaged il the clutch lockingmembers 18 operable by centrifugal force, the purpose of which willappear later.

In order to slide the shaftji forwardly to place the device inoperation, a pivotally mounted lever 1 19 is provided and is operable toslide the shaft through the medium of the pedal 20, there being a spring22 for urging the shaft rearwardly to its inoperative position.

The casing 12 carries a contact piece 23, for supplying the ring 24fixed to the casing with electrical energy which flows through thebrushes 25 supported by the casing 12, and from thence tators of thearmatures 7.

The fields for the a atures are indicated by the numeral 28, and 2indicates a support for sustaining a ball bearing assembly for theshafts 8 in order to reduce friction.

The clutch locking members 18 are restrained 30 by springs 29, ascustomary in centrifugal governors.

The operation is as follows. Under the action of the current, the motors7 are rotated at high speed. Due to the gearing 9--1o-11-1s, the 8casing 1'7 containing the electric motors rotates at a speed determinedby the gear ratio; the said clutching box it rotates at amuch reducedspeed which can be readily determined, since this is the case ofepicycloidalgearing, thus actuating the said sleeve 6 atlike speed,through the clutch 15-16.

By the centrifugal force, the clutch locking members 18 (Figs. 1 and 2)will open only when the motors 7 and the casing 1'7 have reached a speedslightly above a predeed speed. When the said locking members 18 areopened and disengage the groove 31 it is simply necessary to slide theshaft 3 in the sleeve 6 by the lever 19 controlled by a pedal 20 (or a.handle) in order to 109 engage theclutch teeth 2 and 4.

Due to the resistance occasioned by the inertia of the engine, in thefirst place the clutch 14 will slip, and it will then drive the engineslowly and without shocks by means of its shaft 1, since the said clutchwill progressively deliver the energy stored up by the mass in movementconsisting of the combination of the electric motors and the casings1'7, also theenergy furnished by the said motors 7. 1w

When the engine has been started, the driver releases his pedal 20. Bythe action of the spring 22 the teeth 2-4 are disengaged, and it issimply necessary to break the circuit until the electric motor is againused.

After the whole device has been rotated by the electric motors, as abovestated, the circuit isnot broken during the starting action, and thusthe available power will consist of the kinetic energy of the movableparts to which is added the force of the electric motors whichconstantly furnish power. The pedal (or handle) control cannot takeplace before the whole device has rotated at a determined speed.

The handle can'be employed in any suitable manner to effect the control,and it may be mounted either on the ,outside of the aeroplane or withinthe aeroplane body.

I claim:

1. A starting mechanism for an internal combustion engine having acrankshaft to be rotated comprising a shaft slidably mounted forclutching engagement with the crank shaft of the engine and having anengine engaging member thereon. a pair of motors mounted .on a spiderand rotatable about the shaft under their own power to drive the same,said motors being disposed in parallel relation with respect to theshaft, and a driving connection between said spider and said engagingmember.

2. A starting mechanism for an internal combustion engine having acrank-shaft to be rotated, comprising a sleeve, a shaft splined to thesaid sleeve and slidable to engage said crank-shaft, a pair of motorsrotatable about the shaft and sleeve under their own power to impartrotary movement to the sleeve, a clutch device between the sleeve andmotors for driving the sleeve and thus the shaft during rotation of themotors about said shaft, a gear ring associated with the clutch device,driving connections between the motors and ring, and means for slidingthe shaft for interlocking engagement with the crank shaft of theengine.

3. A starting mechanism for internal combustion engines having acrank-shaft, comprising i rotated, a shaft for detachable engagementwith the crank shaft when slid in one direction, means for sliding saidshaft, a sleeve surrounding said shaft and splined thereto, a pair ofmotors mov able around the shaft and sleeve, a clutch device between thesleeve and motors for driving said shaft during rotation of the motors,a planetary drive connection between the motors and clutch device todrive the sleeve and thus the shaft.

' LEON GERARD.

